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Official Website of West Bengal Correctional Services, India - Facilities, Prisoners' Panchayat

The West Bengal Correctional Services Act also provides for setting up of Panchayats

Prisoners are encouraged to participate in the management of their activities. Though their participation in panchayats, a sense of responsibility is sought to be inculcated in the prisoners to prepare them for social re-integration.

Prisoners’ bodies called "Panchayats" are constituted to help correctional home administration in the field of education, vocational training, other prison services and in protecting privileges and amenities available to the prison inmates.

Official Website of West Bengal Correctional Services, India - Facilities, Prisoners' Panchayat

The Panchayats look after cooking and distribution of prisoners’ food, suggest menu for breakfast, mid-day meal etc, render aid in various cultural & recreational activities and in maintaining sanitary & hygienic conditions inside the correctional homes.

Senior prison officers during their visit to the jails hold meeting with the prisoners and listen to their complaints and suggestions. This gives an opportunity to all the prisoners to air their grievances before the Senior Officers of the Prisons Administration.

 

Official Website of West Bengal Correctional Services, India - Facilities, Prisoners' Panchayat

All such suggestions/grievances are sympathetically heard and immediate redressal actions are initiated. Besides giving the prisoners a sense of pride, it also helps in letting the steam off which may otherwise lead to serious consequences, if allowed to accumulate.

The correctional homes of the State are sought to function like a self-contained Indian village where the inmates themselves are encouraged to regulate their welfare activities under the guidance of correctional home officials.

 

Official Website of West Bengal Correctional Services, India - Facilities, Prisoners' Panchayat

Superintendent and even senior officers have frequent meetings with the prisoners Panchayats openly where prisoners’ grievances are listened carefully and solutions provided.

Panchayats are formed by due process of free & fair elections. This democratic system is a vital part of the process towards transparent Correctional home administration.

 

Official Website of West Bengal Correctional Services, India - Facilities, Prisoners' Panchayat